The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1887-11-12
IN THE VITO WEST.
How On Honest Tilier of the Soil Wa
Robbed by Two Reprobates.

Robbed bv Two Reprobates.
Horse-feed was sometimes very
scarce. and Il would occasionally be |
necessary 10 appropriate a little corn
for the mules when there was a large
field Of it convenient The necessity
always appeared stronger IL the owner
Of the field was nowhere visible. One
day. during one Of these famines. we
camped by the Minuachaduza river.
few miles from Valentino. Neb We
were only three or four miles from the
mouth Of the river. and II was fully six
feet wide. In places where il was
shallow il was Us much rs seven feet in
width High water. too. But to re-
turn.
There was corn-feld on the other
aide of this river. and Pinnee decided
to 90 over and get some corn. He took
a sack and rife and wnded across the
river and went on up to the enemy's
position. 1t was not exactly his inten-
ton to shoot the owners head OF
should he appear, but he Argued that il
was a good thing to have gun along
in such an cmergen cy, ss its presence
had q tendency to prevent loud and
disagrceable talk on the part Of the az.
riculturist
He had got q little way into the edge
Of the field. with his gun on his Shout
der, and had picked few ears OF corn,
when he suddenly saw an old man
come from behind q clump Of trees
about fifty yards away, with shotgun
which he was carrying on his shoulder
so il reached tn the greatest possible
height Pinneo wilted. He lay right
down on the ground. He fiattened out
and glued himself to the surface OF the
earth like a porous plaster He just
kept one corner Of his head whore an
eve was located turned up little go he
could watch the motions of that man
with . double-barreled shotgun run
ming up into tho atmosphere like an
Episcopalian spire. He had been so
unfortunate as to drop on large and
| irritable prickly-pear cactus, while a
branch Of a vigorous cockl e-burr plant
was insinuating itself up the leg of his
pantaloons. But he didn't mind such
little things. He said afterwards that
no Thought TO himself as he lay there
what an easy. uneventful time the mar.
tyrs used to have.
He said that il any body had come
along and said: Here, I'll keep this
old man back while you run along
down and tie yourself to the stake and
light the fire, he would have gone for
the stake on the run.
Tie old man started in his direction.
He settled down on the cactus a little
closer. He noticed that though the
man was old and had a long gray
beard he had bright eve and steady
hand, and carried the shotgun as if he
was accustomed to it. Probably he
was not the first traveller who had been
caught and murdered in this cornfield.
1t might be an everyday occurrence
with the blood-thirsty old corn-raiser.
.Pcrhaps," Pinneo thought to himself,
81 am even now lying on the grave OF
former victims" He concluded on
second thought that he was.
The old man came little nearer all
the time looking around cautiously.
He would surely find him. He KEEP,
coming closer, frequently stopping &c
look in all directions Ten yards more
and he would be on him. Again the
old man moved toward him, this time
to within four steps Here he stopped
and started to take his gun from hi.
shoulder. Pinneo decided to sell hi.
| life as dearly ms possible, and rose NJ
from the ground with a yell and with
his gun in his hands. The old man ut
tered yell that made Pinneo's seen
like a whisper. dropped n sack he hac